Lectures focus on health hazards

Health risks associated with smoking and other lifestyle choices are probably no greater today than 50 years ago. Globalization, however, might be helping to spread infectious diseases.

The 2004 public lectures to be presented by the Hannah Chair for the History of Medicine will focus on health hazards.

“It’s meant as a sequel to last year’s series, which dealt with the history of new diseases,” says Hannah chair holder Dr. Toby Gelfand. “We’re going forward one step to look at the prevention of disease and the concept of risk.”

Are we facing greater health hazards now than in the past? Probably not, Dr. Gelfand thinks. Smoking, obesity and other “lifestyle” issues are seen as more of risks.

“But in an absolute sense, smoking was more of a risk (in the ‘50s and ‘60s) because more people were smoking and tobacco advertising was allowed. In fact, some of the earlier studies on smoking were done on physicians who provided a convenient group who smoked a lot.”

The situation is somewhat different on the infectious disease front where Dr. Gelfand sees a greater threat because of globalization. The appearance of SARS and Mad Cow Disease is indicative of that.

“We are a lot more fragile because of globalization. Something from Africa could reach Canada in a matter of hours. AIDS probably existed for decades before it was perceived because people who had it didn’t travel.”

The seven lectures on the history of health hazards will be presented on
Fridays from February 13 to April 2
(with the exception of February 27)
at 12:30 p.m.
in Room 2021 of Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth Road

On February 13, Dr. Gelfand will lead off the series with a lecture looking at three factors that combined to provoke the crisis during the Paris heat wave of 2003 – physical (the heat), demographic (the elderly population) and cultural (the unpreparedness during the traditional month of vacation).
On February 20, Dr. David Wright, Hannah professor at McMaster University, will discuss lunacy in Victorian times and show that the population in asylums then was more of a cross-section of the general population rather than a completely marginal group.
On March 5, Carolyn Acker, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, will focus on addiction since the 19^th century, particularly the risks associated with needle exchange and conversely the need for distributing free syringes to drug addicts.
On March 12, health and science historian Ann Laberge, from Virginia Tech University, will discuss why obesity persists in America despite measures to counter this problem.
On March 19, Canadian sociologist George Torrance will offer his views on physical inactivity in Canada.
On March 26, John Burnham, a historian from Ohio State, will touch upon the contentious issue of childhood lead poisoning in the early 20^th century.
On April 2, Sharon Cook, a professor in the Faculty of Education, will close the 2004 series with a discussion of the woman smoker.

Admittance to all lectures is free and coffee and cookies will be served.